I’m just back from a holiday in West Cornwall and on the Isles of Scilly – had a lovely time, with lots of walking, some running, a bit of horse-riding (once every two years is about my record on that one) and, of course, plenty of reading. I read all the books I took with me and left them in our two hotels, but of course acquired more while down there from some favourite shops and the great charity shops of Penzance. And then finished reading one of the acquisitions on the train home!
Jackie Kay – “Red Dust Road”
(12 October 2018 – Penzance charity shop)
My friends in the Very Small Book Group had read and raved about this a while ago (Ali will let me know when, I’m sure) and so when I spotted it in a charity shop I couldn’t resist. Ostensibly the story of her finding her Nigerian father and family, it’s also an autobiography and tribute to her adoptive parents.
It’s a lovely, warm, self-deprecating but strong read, and I did indeed love it. I giggled at times and I did have a tear in my eye at one point. I really loved the stories of her mum’s down-to-earth Scottish reactions to the more outlandish parts of her “journey” as well as the heartfelt descriptions of her meetings with her birth mum and dad and musings on what it is to be adopted and the howling wind-filled centre of your mind that is never truly still. As a poet and novelist, Kay is full of stories, of course, but she shares this with her mum and talks movingly of how the two of them wove together a story of what happened to her birth parents that sustained them and drew them closer: “It was a big bond, the story” (p. 44).
Kay is so honest, especially sharing how she’s an open and trusting person and so all the secrecy around her adoption really got to her. She’s thrilled to meet her Highlands of Scotland aunts and draws interesting comparisons between the Scottish and Nigerian villages she originates from. She’s generous in her thanks to the people who support her along the way, and while it’s not an easy read as such, the pages slip by. I will be looking for some of her poetry to read now.
Here‘s Ali’s review of the book, which brings out some quotations I loved, too.
We had a sort of “extra” day in Penzance on Friday, as our boat from the Isles of Scilly was moved forward because of storms coming in on Friday and Saturday. We didn’t do much (we had a trip out on Sunday, instead, which we thought would be our down day) but I scoured the charity shops and the wonderful Edge of the World Bookshop for lovelies. Eric Newby’s “A Small Place in Italy” is about restoring an Italian house and not one I had or had even read! The Jackie Kay we now know about. “Bird Watching Watching” by Alex Horne (who we know from the rather wonderful programme Taskmaster) is about a year birdwatching with his dad and was not to be resisted.
I bought Philip Marsden’s “Rising Ground: A Search for the Spirit of Place” because it centres around West Cornwall, where we were. This seemed the ideal book to buy there. I love this shop so much – website here – it’s so friendly and has a marvellous stock, and has just moved a few doors up the road into larger premises. If you’re ever in West Cornwall, do pop to Penzance to pay them a visit.
There are a couple of other lovely bookshops in Penzance. Barton Books does art and design and children’s books and lovely notebooks, and Newlyn Books has a wonderful selection of second-hand books and art books, including a wonderful local collection.
Amusingly, I bought a copy of Colin Duriez’ “The Oxford Inklings” there – I say amusingly because of course Tolkien was a son of Birmingham, and last time I went to Newlyn Books I bought a Francis Brett Young book (another local). This has very good reviews by a number of scholars and looks like another good addition to my shelf.
The final addition to my TBR came when we got home. A running and reading friend had asked if I could help the publisher out by taking on a review copy of Mark Atkinson’s “Run Like Duck: A Guide for the Unathletic” and as we know, I’m always up for a running book (plus this one mentions ultras) so I was very happy to find it on the doormat when we returned (along with the Iris Murdoch Review, which includes a lovely review of my book “Iris Murdoch and the Common Reader”, and Saga Book from the North Atlantic Research Society, so I’m going to be a busy Lizzie for a while!
What have you been up to while I’ve been away? I’ve tried to keep up with blogs though had to catch up first!
Oct 15, 2018 @ 19:11:08
Glad you enjoyed Red Dust Road. What a generous and thoughtful review. And what an amazing tribute Jackie Kay pays to her families. Thanks for reminding me. I need to read this again.
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:19:19
I’m glad you enjoyed my review. Does Jackie Kay narrate the audio book herself?
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 19:35:32
Sounds like you had a lovely holiday Liz!
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:19:39
Yes, I did, thank you. A good rest and a good mix of activity and down time.
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Oct 17, 2018 @ 12:18:36
I actually read Red Dudt Road when I still had my eyesight. I’m disappointed to be unable to find it on audible.
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Oct 17, 2018 @ 14:43:49
Oh, that is a shame indeed!
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 19:57:06
I acquired a charity shop copy of Red Dust Road last year! Haven’t read it yet, but thought of recommending it to my book club for next year’s roster. I think it would appeal to people who don’t often read memoirs.
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:20:12
Yes, I would say that would be the case, it’s very engaging and easy to read, if not sometimes an easy read, if that makes sense?
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 19:57:46
Your holiday sounds lovely, Liz – so jealous! And some great book finds. I love Eric Newby and I think I may have read this one. The Inklings book sounds fun too – I haven’t read any Tolkien in decades but I *must* revisit Lord of the Rings one day.
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:21:05
I can’t believe I found an Eric I hadn’t read! I want to re-read LOTR one day, too – I think reading the lovely catalogue from the exhibition as well might trigger that!
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 20:08:37
Oxford Inklings and Run Like Duck look great
I should hunt down a copy of the former ahead of a Tolkien exhibit opening here since I’ll probably go back down that rabbit hole
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 20:10:50
Interestingly when I went to look up Inklings at NYPL, I found this which is apparently same same but different
https://nypl.overdrive.com/media/269094
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:22:33
There are lots of books about the Inklings around, it’s a popular subject! This one has quotes from other experts saying it’s a good one. You should get to that exhibition because I missed it – I have the catalogue though and it’s superb!
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 19:14:36
Doing the exhibit for sure. Love that museum
I probably need to do some prep though as I absolutely cheat read Lord of the Rings
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 20:30:15
Yay I am delighted you loved Red Dust Road. I reviewed it in June 2016 so we must have read it around then. That bookshop looks gorgeous, I think you were very restrained.
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:25:37
I’ve found your review now I’m on the PC at home and am popping a link to it in my review, esp as you quoted sections I really enjoyed, too. Did you ever get hold of her poems based on the story? And I was restrained, wasn’t I – thoughts of the ever-growing TBR and also being on the train home managed to keep me calm!
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 11:23:54
I don’t have any of her poems. Though when I saw her at the literature festival 2 years (?) ago she recited some and it was wonderful. I think I probably prefer them in her own voice.
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Oct 15, 2018 @ 20:44:45
It sounds like you had a lovely holiday. I’ve never read any Jackie Kay but your fab review has made me want to pick Red Dust Road up, it sounds like a great read.
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 07:26:26
Drop me a message if you’d like me to send you the book as I loved it but don’t have room to keep it if I’m not definitely going to re-read it. We did have a lovely holiday, thank you, a good mix of activity and reading time. I even almost caught up with my blog reading!
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 15:50:47
The Jackie Kay does sound very affecting; I’ve only read her Trumpet, but it was just beautiful. The holiday sounds like a good mix of activity and relaxing; the bookshopping is a nice touch, of course! And how nice that you left behind the two books you had taken with you. I never manage to actually finish anything on holiday but I would like to leave a book or two behind as well – like a thank you to the holiday. (Plus, lightening your luggage.)
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Oct 16, 2018 @ 16:00:29
I think I left more than that – one in Scilly and I think three in Penzance, brought the Iris Murdoch home full of post-its, and bought four. Um, five. Oops. But read this one by the end of the rail trip!
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